This invention relates to wheeled skating devices and more particularly to skates having a boot, shoe or other means attached to the skate's wheels for holding a rider's foot in position relative to the wheels.
Skates, including in-line roller skates and more conventional roller skates, wherein each skate has a boot or shoe for retaining the rider's foot in position relative to the skate's wheels, are well known in the art. Likewise, conventional skateboards having no such foot retaining means are also well known.
These prior art skating devices have posed limitations and relative hazards in certain circumstances and when attempting certain maneuvers. For example, when skating on a wet or otherwise moderately slippery surface, the use of conventional or in-line skates, wherein both of the rider's feet are booted, that is, retained in position relative to the wheels of the skates, has posed a problem in that upon sliding and losing his or her balance, the rider has attempted to recover on one or both of his or her feet, both of which have been essentially wheeled and more prone to slippage. This has limited the rider's ability to effectively recover. Also, under such slippery conditions, it has been more difficult for a rider to impel himself or herself forward when the rider's foot has been used to push off the ground with a wheeled skate prone to slippage.
Many prior art in-line skates have a brake attached to the skate near the heel of the skate boot. A recent attempt to remove one skate for increased stability and traction under slippery conditions has been made with an attempt to rest the non-skated foot on the prior art skate's brake while skating. However, this has proven problematic, since there has not been provided adequate support for the nonskated foot on the brake, because the brake has not been designed to support one's foot during skating or while attempting skating maneuvers. Such brakes are too small in size, they slope downwardly, and they often have not been designed to withstand the forces which would be placed on the brake during skating or certain skating maneuvers. Thus, during such an attempt to support the foot on the skate's brake, the foot has slipped off the brake during skating and while attempting maneuvers, creating a hazardous situation.
There are several tricks that one can do on a skateboard but which have not been done, or at least have not been done as easily, on conventional or in-line skates. For example, doing 360 degree turns or spins, and multiples or divisions thereof (e.g., "180's", "360's", "720's", etc.) on the rear wheels of a skateboard are relatively easy. However, doing these tricks on the rear wheels of conventional or in-line skates has been very difficult. This is partly because prior art skates have not provided adequate place on or adjacent the skate for the skater to put his or her other foot while doing the spin. Moreover, the leverage force necessary to raise and or maintain the front wheels of the skate off the ground in order to perform the trick has been lacking since no adequate place has been provided on the skate on which to apply such force. An attempt to do such tricks or maneuvers while attempting to rest one's foot on a prior art in-line skate's brake would be unsuccessful for two reasons: first, as described above, the brakes have not been designed with the support of one's foot in mind, and hence, there would be inadequate leverage applicable to the brake in order to raise the front end of the skate, and second, the brake's pad would drag on the ground during such wheelie or spinning type tricks.
Another trick common to skaters and skateboarders is called an Ollie. A skater performs an Ollie by jumping off the ground, for example by jumping off a ramp or an elevated surface, and by lifting the skates upwardly by tucking the knees. In the past with skateboards, Ollies have been difficult because there was no means for attaching the skateboard to the skater's feet. Thus, the skater had to reach down with his or her hand and grab the board to keep it in contact with the feet until landing occurred.
Another disadvantage of prior art skates and techniques is that it has been more difficult, especially for beginners, to easily come to a complete stop when both feet have had wheels on them. Moreover, even standing still when both feet have had wheels on them has sometimes been difficult, especially on an inclined or otherwise irregular surface.
Still another disadvantage of prior art skates has involved the avoidance of obstacles, such as potholes, curbs, rocks of various sizes and the like. Sometimes it has been difficult to avoid such obstacles when both feet have had wheeled skates on them. An attempt to remove one of the skates to alleviate this problem has not been feasible since there has not been a suitable place to rest the non-skated foot during riding.
A further disadvantage of prior art skates is that beginners often have had a very difficult time using them. This is especially true while pushing off and starting motion forward. Since conventionally both feet have been retained in a wheeled skate, the instability of the whole process just being learned has been increased. Of course, this has presented certain safety hazards when learning to skate. Moreover, stopping has been difficult for beginning skaters, both on conventional and in-line prior art skates. This has been especially true on inclined or otherwise uneven skating surfaces.